There are moments in business when you see something online and think:
“Should I say something?”
You hesitate.
Because speaking up can create noise…
Because people may misunderstand your intention…
Because when the other side has a much bigger platform, it can feel easier to simply stay quiet.
But sometimes, silence is not the responsible choice.
Recently, I came across a public discussion about Pharma Checker, MAL registration and counterfeit health products.
My first reaction was actually positive.
As someone running a wellness company, I have always believed that consumers must be protected from counterfeit products. We have experienced the problem ourselves. We had spent money fighting it, spent countless hours documenting it, gone after counterfeit listings, engaged the authorities, even to the extend of investing in our own authentication system.
So when I see anyone trying to educate consumers about counterfeit products, I support the intention.
But then I realised something….
The message being communicated could leave consumers with a very different conclusion:
If a health product does not have a MAL number or the relevant hologram sticker, it must be fake.
And that is where I felt I could not simply remain silent.
Because there is an important distinction that many people may not know:
MAL registration and product authenticity are two different matters.
When those two things are treated as the same, legitimate businesses can be unintentionally caught in the crossfire.
The First Thing I Want People to Understand
Let me put this in the simplest way I can.
Pharma Checker is not a universal “Is this product real?” button.
It is designed to check products within the relevant MPI/NPRA registration framework, where a MAL registration number applies.
If a product is registered under that framework, the relevant hologram and MAL registration can be checked through the appropriate system.
But not every wellness product in Malaysia belongs to that regulatory category.
Some products fall under the Food Act 1983 / Food Regulations 1985 framework.
And that distinction matters.
TREND’s products fall under the food regulatory framework and hold a formal KKM approval letter, with reference:
FLS0425170-0
So when someone asks:
“Where is your MAL number?”
the answer is not necessarily:
“We don’t have one because something is wrong.”
The answer may simply be:
“Because this product is not an MPI-registered product.”
That’s it.
No MAL number does not automatically mean counterfeit.
Why This Matters to Me Personally
Perhaps if I were not running a wellness company, I would look at this differently. But I am and I know what happens behind the scenes.
Consumers see a box.
I oversee personally everything that had to happen before that box could reach them from the very beginning of product development, formulation, manufacturing, documentation, regulatory submissions, labeling reviews, certification documents, claims being checked, and other countless details that people never see.
When we submit our product information for regulatory review, it is not simply:
“Here is our product. Please approve it.”
Every single detail within labeling matters….the wording, ingredients, claims, icon, each supporting documentation matters. Everything has to be properly controlled.
So when someone makes a broad statement that could cause consumers to question legitimate products simply because they do not carry a particular registration identifier, I cannot look at it as just another social media post.
I look at it from the perspective of a business owner who has spent years building something properly.
That is why I felt I had to speak.
Influence Should Educate, Not Oversimplify
I don’t expect every consumer to understand Malaysia’s entire regulatory system.
Honestly, why should they?
They are consumers.
They should be able to trust that the information being presented to them is accurate.
That is why I believe education should not simply tell people:
“Look for this sticker.”
It should also explain:
Which products require the sticker?
What does the MAL number represent?
Which products fall under the Food Act?
What does it mean if a product does not have a MAL number?
How can consumers verify authenticity through other appropriate means?
That is real consumer education.
Because fear is easy to create.
Understanding takes more effort.
And I believe our industry needs more understanding.
I Don’t Think We Should Fight People. We Should Fight Misinformation.
This is an important distinction for me. I am not interested in attacking anyone neither am I interested to create unnecessary drama.
I am not interested in turning a regulatory discussion into a personal fight.
My position is actually quite simple:
I support the objective of protecting consumers and fighting counterfeit products. Thus, I support stronger consumer education.
But I also believe legitimate businesses deserve accurate representation.
So instead of going onto social media and shouting, we chose the formal route whereby we prepared an official letter, our supporting documents and explained our regulatory position. We shared our experience as a company that has itself been affected by counterfeit products as well as requested for clarification.
That is how I believe a business should respond.
Respectfully, but firmly.
“It’s Not Fair to Us, and It’s Not Professional.”
I said this during my sharing because that is genuinely how I feel.
“It’s not fair to us, and it’s not professional.”
Being questioned is not the problem.
Legitimate companies should be open to questions. At any point in time, if any of you were to ask us for our documents, products , manufacturing, regulatory framework or even how we protect our customers…We would definitely be able to answer them without hesitation.
But there is a difference between asking questions and making conclusions without understanding the regulatory context.
And as entrepreneurs, we need to know when to stand up for ourselves.
Not AGGRESSIVELY…
Not EMOTIONALLY…
But CONFIDENTLY!!
I Could Have Stayed Silent
Perhaps nobody would have blamed me if I had. After all, responding takes time.
Explaining the regulatory distinction takes effort. Writing official letters takes resources.
Standing up publicly creates risk.
But I believe entrepreneurs have a responsibility beyond protecting our own companies.
If we see a misunderstanding that could affect an entire industry, sometimes we need to speak.
Not to create conflict. But to create clarity.
Because if legitimate wellness companies remain silent, consumers may never understand the difference.
And if consumers don’t understand the difference, the entire industry suffers.
This is why I chose to speak up.
But speaking up is only one part of the story.
The next question is:
What have we actually done to protect our customers and our brand from counterfeit products?
Counterfeiting is not just about copying a product.
It can affect trust, safety, businesses — and consumers.
In the next part, I’ll share why this issue deserves our attention.
Stay tuned. The real story is coming next.
